Today marks the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, four years after the significant Supreme Court judgment. The grand event include the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Ram Lalla, the idol of infant Lord Ram, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the rituals.
The Ayodhya land, traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram, has been a historical source of conflict. Hindus assert that in the 16th century, Babur constructed the Babri Masjid over an ancient temple, signifying the sacred birthplace of Lord Ram.
Violence first erupted in 1853, prompting the British colonial administration to install a dividing fence in 1859, segregating worship areas for Muslims and Hindus. In 1949, the placement of Lord Ram and Sita idols inside the mosque heightened tensions, leading to the government locking its gates and sparking legal disputes over the site.
The legal struggle escalated in the 1980s, culminating in the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992, by a Hindu activist mob. This event fueled widespread communal violence and complicated the legal proceedings.
In 2010, the Allahabad High Court ruled that the disputed land be divided among the Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmohi Akhara, and the deity Ram Lalla Virajman. This decision faced challenges, and on November 9, 2019, the Supreme Court of India delivered a landmark judgment. The court mandated the transfer of the disputed 2.77 acres to a government-established trust for the construction of the Ram Mandir. Additionally, it directed the allocation of an alternate five-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for mosque construction.